Fern Fischer

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Garden Guides uses a knowledgeable team of editors, writers, and experts to create all our content. We dive deep into the ever-evolving conversations surrounding gardening and landscaping, striving to deliver the most current and helpful tips, strengthened by expert insight and tutorials from our talented team.

As we cover many fields of expertise, we make it a priority to ensure every beat remains fresh and comprehensive. Additional information on our editorial process available here.

Stories By Fern Fischer

  • Trees
    Trees By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    Problems With Rubber Tree Plants

    Problems With Rubber Tree Plants. Rubber tree plants (Ficus elastica) are grown all over the world as houseplants. They thrive outdoors in their native tropical climate, where they grow as shade trees. The large, thick leaves are dark green, sometimes with a bronze or reddish tint when young. Rubber trees grow to 100 feet tall in the jungle, but in coastal southwestern California and the southern tip of Florida, where they grow outdoors in the U.S., they reach 30 to 45 feet.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Trees
    Trees By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    Maple Trees In Ohio

    Maple Trees in Ohio. Trees of the maple family (Aceraceae) are native to Ohio forests, and they occur in large numbers throughout the state. Maple sap and maple sugar are an important agricultural resource in Ohio. In fact, the state of Ohio is second only to Vermont in maple syrup production. Red maple, silver maple and sugar maple are the three species of maples found in Ohio. All of these trees are ideal shade trees, and they all have sap that is used in the maple sugar industry. Maple trees are long-lived, large and spreading. Besides maple sugar, maple trees are valuable for timber products.

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    Flowers
    Flowers By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    The Parts Of A Daisy Plant

    The Parts of a Daisy Plant. The term "daisy" is often used in reference to a wide variety of flowers of the Asteraceae family, which includes asters, sunflowers and hundreds of other flowers. They all have the "daisy-like" flower form, with a center flower disk surrounded by a rim of petals. Daisies are familiar cut flowers as well as garden flowers. The parts of a daisy plant are common to most flowering plants.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    How To Fertilize A Grape Vine

    How to Fertilize a Grape Vine. Grapes have been bred to grow in almost every climate and every type of soil. Table grapes, wine grapes and raisin grapes have similar growing needs. Once your grape vines are established, you can expect them to produce crops for up to 40 years. Knowing when and how to fertilize your grape vines will keep them healthy and productive. Grape flowers and fruits grow only on new growth from cane buds that formed the previous year and were dormant over the winter. Grape vines need well-developed root systems to produce good fruit year after year, so soil structure is an important factor.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    How To Position A Sundial For Use At Home

    How to Position a Sundial for Use at Home. Sundials have been used as timepieces for many centuries, with an unchanged basic functional design. A sundial consists of the flat plane where the time segments are marked, and the gnomon, which is the raised part that casts a shadow to determine the time. A correctly positioned sundial will be a fairly accurate timepiece as well as a decorative addition to your garden. Remember, a sundial tells you sun time and not clock time. On a sundial, noon is always when the sun is directly overhead. The rest of the time segments are divided according to the sun's path across the sky, which changes seasonally.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Lawn Care
    Lawn Care By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    How To Fix A Mantis Tiller That Won't Start

    How to Fix a Mantis Tiller That Won't Start. Mantis tillers are reliable little workhorse tillers. As with any power garden implement, you may experience an occasional problem starting your tiller. Follow a few simple steps to check the possible causes, and your Mantis tiller should be up and running quickly.

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    Produce
    Produce By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    Best Vegetables To Grow In Iowa

    Best Vegetables to Grow in Iowa. Iowa has a relatively short growing season, so vegetables that withstand cool spring temperatures are the best types to plant. Select varieties that mature quickly, too. A late frost in the spring, or an early frost in the fall can kill vegetable plants. Keep mulch available to cover plants if necessary and to extend the growing season by preventing frost damage. Refer to the planting zone charts when you buy seeds or plants through the mail, so you will buy the correct varieties for your location.

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    Flowers
    Flowers By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    The Parts Of A Rose Flower

    The Parts of a Rose Flower. Roses are "perfect" flowers, meaning that each flower has complete male and female parts. A rose blossom produces male pollen, and it also contains the female parts so it can produce seeds after it is pollinated. Rose seeds are contained in the fruit, or "hip" that develops from a pollinated rose flower.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Lawn Care
    Lawn Care By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    How To Tune Up A Mantis Tiller

    How to Tune Up a Mantis Tiller. The Mantis tiller/cultivator was designed for easy owner maintenance and repair. If you learn a few simple maintenance tasks, you can keep your Mantis in top shape for many seasons. Each Mantis tiller comes with a DVD and an owner's manual, both of which have valuable information for the safe operation and maintenance of the tiller.

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    Trees
    Trees By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    Fruit Trees For Ohio

    Fruit Trees for Ohio. The climate of Ohio is well-suited for growing fruit trees. Fruit trees require a period of chill dormancy each year, and Ohio winters provide ample cold temperatures. Select trees according to the USDA temperature hardiness zone where you live. Southern Ohio is zone 6, and the central and northern areas are zone 5. Plant fruit trees as landscaping elements as well as additions to the garden. The blossoms are very attractive in the spring, and the fall foliage can be striking. Standard size trees can be used as shade trees, and dwarf trees can be used to replace ornamental shrubs in landscaping design.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Lawn Care
    Lawn Care By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    How To Extract Lavender Oil From A Lavender Plant

    How to Extract Lavender Oil From a Lavender Plant. Use steam distillation to extract oil from lavender at home. The steam passes through the herb, picking up tiny droplets of the plant oil. The steam carries the droplets upward, contacting a concave lid, where the oil-laden droplets condense, cool and fall into a collection vessel. The resulting oil is pure essential oil of lavender, which you can blend with carrier oils or ointments. The extracted essential oil-to-water ratio will be approximately 1:25 using this method.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    How To Grow Non-Stop Begonias

    How to Grow Non-Stop Begonias. Non-stop begonias grow from tubers, and are also called tuberous begonias. They bloom continuously all summer. Just before the first frost, trim the foliage and dig up the tubers for winter storage. Non-stop begonias are not cold hardy, and they require a dormant period. Non-stop begonias are available in dozens of color combinations; the plant habit may be upright or trailing. Choose the species with the characteristics that suit your purpose.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    How To Keep Deer From Eating Tulips

    How to Keep Deer From Eating Tulips. Tulips, the colorful harbingers of spring, are very popular in gardens. Tulips also are popular with wild animals. Many species love to eat tulips, with deer being some of the most destructive. Not only will deer nip off a tulip flower in one bite, they often dig the bulbs and eat them, too.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce
    Produce By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    Vegetables That Grow Well In Kentucky

    Vegetables That Grow Well in Kentucky. Kentucky gardeners are blessed with a climate that provides plenty of warm weather for a long growing season. The geography of Kentucky is varied, including Appalachian foothills in the east, bluegrass areas in the central region and hills in the western part of the state. Groundwater and rainfall are plentiful. Rocky soil can be an issue in certain areas of Kentucky. Home gardeners can overcome issues with poor soil conditions by amending the soil with plenty of humus and compost.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Flowers
    Flowers By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    What Flowers Are Poisonous To Cats?

    What Flowers Are Poisonous to Cats?. Curious cats will explore anything that interests them. House cats may have a special curiosity about plants. Some plants and flowers are toxic to cats, causing sickness, while others can be lethal. Unless you know with certainty that a flower or plant is non-poisonous, be safe and keep all flowers and plants out of your pet's reach. If you send flowers to a friend or relative who has a cat, make sure you select flowers that are safe.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Flowers
    Flowers By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    Wooded Landscaping Ideas

    Wooded Landscaping Ideas. Typical landscape design focuses on the appearance of a home and its surroundings, frequently from an approach viewpoint, or how the home appears from the street. Wooded landscaping design can take a similar approach, but it can also be used as a means to blend the home with the surrounding rustic environment. If a homeowner builds or buys a home in the woods, then the landscaping ideas should spotlight the natural wooded perspective.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Flowers
    Flowers By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    Flowers In Holland

    Flowers in Holland. When most Americans think of Holland, it is wooden shoes, windmills and tulips that come to mind. Tulips are still a huge part of the flower economy in Holland. However, the Holland flower market is extremely diverse. It is the most well-known flower center in the world. Floral distributors import and export billions of flowers, bulbs and plants annually through the Holland market, reaching florists worldwide.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    Sun Rose Plant

    Sun Rose Plant. The sun rose is one of about 110 varieties in the genus Helianthemum. They are creeping, shrubby plants, most growing one foot in height or less. The flowers are small and dainty, resembling roses. The plants form a mat as they spread, and flowers cover the plants for several weeks during the early summer. Sun roses are perennials, returning each year with showy vigor. Sun rose plants have many different colors of flowers, ranging from pastel pink to raspberry, bright red and coppery orange.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce
    Produce By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    A List Of Acid-Loving Plants & Shrubs

    A List of Acid-Loving Plants & Shrubs. Matching the soil pH to plants' needs is critical to their survival. The acid level in the soil controls which nutrients are available for plants to use. Some plants have adapted to higher acid levels in the soil; an alkaline soil keeps nutrients chemically bound. When nutrients are bound, they will not dissolve and plants cannot benefit from them. According to the Rutgers soil-testing lab, average soil pH levels are in the 6 to 7 range. A soil pH level of 7 is considered the neutral point; below 6.5 is usually considered acidic.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce
    Produce By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    What Flowers Attract Gold Finches?

    What Flowers Attract Gold Finches?. Gold finches, also called wild canaries, are found throughout North America. Their happy song and splash of bright yellow color makes them popular birds to attract to backyard feeders. Gold finches are seed eaters, although if seeds are not available they will eat small insects. Nyjer seed, sometimes referred to as thistle seed, is sold as the favorite food of gold finches. But they are also attracted to the seeds of many garden flowers that are easy to grow in most areas of the U.S.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Flowers
    Flowers By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    Plants For A Dye Garden

    Plants for a Dye Garden. Plants that release color in a hot water bath are the easiest to use for dyeing, giving beginners good results with their the first attempt. Most plants require simple chopping and boiling to make dye. Grow some dye plants in the garden, and take advantage of some wild dye plants as well. Different natural fibers (cotton, wool, linen or silk) will react differently with different dyes, so experiment with an assortment of plants and fibers.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    How To Transplant A Rose Bush In July

    How to Transplant a Rose Bush in July. The recommended times to transplant roses are spring and fall, as the rose is emerging from dormancy or preparing to enter dormancy. However, if you need to move a rose in July, the middle of the growing season, it is possible to make a successful transplant if you help the rose get through transplant shock.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    How To Sucker A Tomato Plant

    How to Sucker a Tomato Plant. Tomato suckers are extra branches that grow from the leaf nodes on the main stem of a tomato plant. Suckers steal nutrients and energy from the plant. Some gardeners remove all suckers from their tomatoes, and some leave two or three and allow them to develop into fruiting branches. Indeterminate tomatoes are the types that produce suckers that must be removed. These are the types of tomatoes that must be staked or trellised. Determinate tomatoes have a more bushy habit; they have only a certain number of blooms and fruits each season, and should not be pruned. If you remove branches from determinate tomatoes, you will be removing potential fruits, and the plants will not grow replacements.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    How To Repel Raccoons

    How to Repel Raccoons. Raccoons are social creatures, and they may raid in groups. They can be bold, and will come into your garage or patio looking for food. They have been known to use pet doors. Female raccoons may have their babies in an attic or chimney or other dark and deserted part of your house. Learn to understand raccoons' behavior and you can discourage them humanely.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    Endangered Desert Plants

    Endangered Desert Plants. The deserts of the US are home to numerous distinctive and rare plants. Unfortunately, many of the native desert species are threatened or endangered. The USDA, National Forest Service and many state and privately funded organizations work to preserve these flora, which are vital parts of the unique regional desert biomes. Some rare or threatened desert species are propagated by arboretums and desert conservation groups, which make the plants available for sale to concerned gardeners.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    How To Make A Grape Trellis

    How to Make a Grape Trellis. The grape trellis is the support that allows the grape vine to produce a heavy crop. The grape vine itself is soft and not very strong, and it cannot grow upright by itself. A modern vineyard trellis system uses high tensile steel wires with industrial bracing. For the home garden, you can use the same basic vineyard principles and build your own grape trellis that will last through many grape harvests. A basic grape trellis consists of posts set in a row, with wires strung between them to support the vines. The grape vines are planted at intervals between the posts and trained to grow on the wires.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022

    How To Use Borage

    How to Use Borage. Borage (Borago officinalis) is one herb that no garden should be without. Its dainty blue blossoms and gray-green foliage are not only decorative, but useful in the kitchen and for medicinal purposes. Borage is easy to grow from seed, and while it is an annual, it reseeds itself easily and new plants will come up year after year. Borage will grow to three feet tall if left untrimmed, or prune it to a shorter height.

    By Fern Fischer November 4th, 2022 Read More